Sadhna, Phirkiyan, Z-Gali closed due to fresh snowfall

Srinagar, Mar 14 : The Sadhna top, Phirkiyan and Z-Gali, connecting dozens of far-flung and remote villages, including those near the Line of Control (LoC) , in the frontier district of Kupwara, were closed again due to fresh snowfall since Tuesday night while the Razdan pass, linking border town of Gurez with Bandipora remained shut since January.

Despite rain, the national highway, the only road linking Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, was through for one-way traffic while Srinagar-Leh national highway and historic Mughal road remained closed since December last year.

Meanwhile, fresh avalanche warning has already been issued for Kupwara-Chowkibal-Tangdhar, Baramulla, Gulmarg, Furkian-Z Gali, Gurez, Bandipora in north Kashmir.

Moderate to heavy snowfall was received in upper reaches, including all passes in north Kashmir while it was raining in the plains, including Kupwara town.

''We have closed all passes, including Sadhna, Phirkiyan and Z-Gali, for any traffic movement following to accumulation of fresh snowfall due to which road has become very slippery,'' an official of Police Control Room (PCR) told UNI over phone from Kupwara on Wednesday.

He said due to closure of these passes, dozens of village, including those near LoC, including Keran, Karnah, Tangdhar and Machil were cut off with their district headquarters. However, he said the snow clearance operation will be started when there is some improvement in the weather.

In the first week of January, 11 people, including an official of Border Roads Organisation (BRO), were killed after they were swept away by an avalanche at Sadhna pass while a driver of BRO lost his life when a snow clearance machine came under an avalanche at Phirkiyan. However, due to less snowfall during this winter, the passes remained open for most period.

The Razdan pass, connecting Bandipora with border town of Gurez, Neeru and other far flung and remote villages, mostly near LoC surrounded by Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) from three sides, remained closed since December last year due to accumulation of snow and slippery road conditions. The road is likely to reopen next month, a Police Control Room (PCR) official told TNN over phone from Bandipora. There is also a threat of avalanche in the area, he said.

Hundreds of vehicles, including those carrying essentials, left Jammu for Kashmir valley this morning as only one-way traffic will continue to ply on Srinagar-Jammu national highway till further orders. No vehicle will be allowed from opposite direction, a traffic police official said.

Meanwhile, a massive snow clearance operation was underway on the national highway, linking Ladakh with Kashmir. It may take several weeks to put through the highway, closed since December last year due to accumulation of snow and slippery road conditions, officials said, adding that there was fresh snowfall at Zojila.

Snow clearance operation has also been started on 86-km-long historic Mughal road, connecting Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region. The road was closed in December last year following heavy snowfall at Pir-ki-Gali and other areas. Fresh snowfall was received at several places in the wee hours today.